Gunatitanand Swami has said that there are four important accomplishments to achieve kalyan.
- Recognize and understand Bhagwan
- Recognize and understand a true saint
- Differentiate between things that are eternal and things that are temporary
- Maintain the purity of senses
Among understanding Bhagwan and understanding a true saint, which is more difficult? In fact, it is more difficult to understand a true saint than it is to understand Bhagwan.
If a person lives with a true saint, it doesn’t mean he understood him. If a person is close to a saint, it is good, but it also doesn’t mean he understood that saint.
Who understood Durvasaji?
In general, Durvasaji is not welcomed at any public events. If in case he attends any event, the organizers of that event would likely ask two or three people to talk to Durvasaji and keep him occupied to ensure that he doesn’t ruin the event.
If a person had to choose between Vyasji or Durvasaji, whom would he choose? He would choose Vyasji; if he had to choose between Ambrishji or Durvasaji, he would immediately choose Ambrishji.
Durvasaji was an angry man. Yet, he never had a desire to eat. His only motive for eating food was to feed Bhagwan. On the other hand, it can’t be said that all his actions were intended to please Bhagwan. When Durvasaji angered on Ambrishji, for example, it can’t be said that he was angry to please Bhagwan. But when he eats any food, he doesn’t eat for himself but only to feed Lord Krishna.
It is true that Durvasaji ate the food
Once Yudishtir Maharaj, as instructed by Lord Krishna, was performing Rajasuy Yagna. Many great rushis such as Vyasji were present at the yagna. Lord Krishna was present there, too.
Yudishtir Maharaj arranged a grand feast for everyone present, and almost everyone ate.
However, even though thousands of people ate the food, including Lord Krishna and Lord Vyasji, the Rajasuya Yagna could not be completed as the conch could not declare that every single person ate in the Yagna.
Then Lord Sri Krishna noticed that Durvasaji hadn’t eaten and told Yudishtir Maharaj, “Durvasa Rushi has not eaten. If you feed him, the Yagna will be complete.”
Yudishtir Maharaj promptly invited Durvasaji to the feast.
Once Durvasaji had finished eating, the conch-shell declared the yagna as complete.
It is true that Durvasaji never had any food
Once Durvasaji visited Mathura.
Lord Krishna told Gopis that Durvasaji is on the other side of the Yamuna river and told them to feed him lavishly.
Gopis prepared a large meal for Durvasaji, crossed the Yamuna river, and approached him to feed. After feeding Durvasaji, the Gopis asked, “Durvasaji, how can we go back home by crossing Yamunaji?”
Durvasaji asked, “How did you get here in the first place?”
Gopis replied, “Lord Krishna instructed us to tell Yamunaji that, ‘If Sri Krishna is an eternal celibate, please give us the way.’ When we told that to Yamunaji, she immediately gave us the way.”
Durvasaji listened to them, ate all the delicious foods, and confidently replied, “Tell Yamunaji that, if Durvasa never ate any food in his life, then give us the way.”
Durvasaji was very confident that Yamunaji would give way to Gopis. After instructing Gopis, he closed his eyes and returned to his meditation upon the murti of Bhagwan. He did not go along with Gopis to check whether Yamunaji would really give way to Gopis.
Yamunaji indeed gave way to Gopis.
These two events show the specialty of Durvasaji.
In the first event, Durvasaji had food and the conch-shell declared that “Now everyone had food.”
In the second event, Durvasaji had the food and declared “Durvasa never had any food,” yet Yamunaji gave way to Gopis.
If one thinks well about these two events, it will shake up his mind. This subject is worth research. We should research on why and how this happened.
A saint is internally confident about his saintliness
After eating the meal prepared by Gopis, Durvasaji said that he never had any food. Who can say that with such confidence? That is the confidence he has in his saintliness.
Brahmanand Swami once told Shreeji Maharaj that, “Maharaj, on any day, if this Brahmanand had any worldly desires, then you are not the ultimate Bhagwan.”
That is the confidence of Brahmanand Swami in his saintliness. That is the confidence of a true saint in his saintliness. Durvasaji clearly knows about himself, his purpose behind doing any work, and his purpose behind eating food. Brahmanand Swami clearly knows about himself and his purpose of existence. On the other hand, ordinary humans don’t clearly understand their purpose.
Do we clearly understand why we are serving this Gurukul? Do we clearly understand why we are serving Bhagwan? We don’t have a clear understanding of what we are doing and why we are doing it.
Durvasaji is very clear that “I never ate anything. It is always Bhagwan who eats.”
See the confidence of Durvasaji: “If I eat, then Bhagwan should say, ‘It is Me who ate the food.’”
Bhagwan in fact acknowledges, “Yes, it is Me who ate the food and not Durvasaji.”
Thus, if one eats, then everyone eats. If one is served, everyone is served.
A saint should have confidence that he and Bhagwan are together in every respect. He should believe that he is not doing the work that he is supposed to do but is doing the work that Bhagwan is supposed to do.
Saints need not make bold statements like Durvasaji and Brahmanand Swami, but he should at least be very confident that his every action is for the sake of Bhagwan alone and not for anybody else including himself.
Durvasaji is better than Lord Krishna and Lord Vyasji
Even after Lord Sri Krishna and Lord Vyasji had eaten, the conch didn’t declare that everyone else had eaten. The conch could declare that the Rajasuya Yagna was complete only when Durvasaji finished eating.
Who is better here, and why?
Lord Krishna is naturally great. Lord Vyasji is also great naturally. But they are not as great as Durvasaji. Why?
Durvasaji is a common man—a human. Durvasaji is not Bhagwan. Yet, he is on par with Bhagwan regarding the way he eats food.
Krishna and Vyasji are naturally able to do anything they wish. Durvasaji, being a human, fed Bhagwan every time he ate instead of feeding himself. Humans, in general, couldn’t do it, and yet he was able to do that. It is not his natural capability, yet he was able to do that. That is the reason he is a true saint.
References: Chosathpadi Katha Part 04 (Pad 04).